Story Links DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball squad is set to hit the road again on Saturday, Dec. 7, as the Huskies make their way to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on Northern Iowa. The matchup against the Panthers is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and […]
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball squad is set to hit the road again on Saturday, Dec. 7, as the Huskies make their way to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on Northern Iowa. The matchup against the Panthers is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+ and WDKB 94-9 FM in DeKalb.
NIU recently achieved an impressive 89-70 win over Benedictine, highlighted by Quaran McPherson (South Jamaica Queens, N.Y./Link Year Prep), who recorded a career-best 20 points in merely 19 minutes. Over the past three games, McPherson has been averaging 13.7 points per game.
Quentin Jones (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) contributed 18 points in the recent triumph on Tuesday evening. Jones leads the team with an average of 15.2 points per game, placing him seventh in the Mid-American Conference.
James Dent Jr. (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) tallied 17 points and handed out a season-high five assists against the Eagles. Over the last three games, he has recorded 10 assists with just three turnovers, ranking third in the MAC with a 2.08 assist/turnover ratio.
Dent also stands 10th in three-point shooting percentage (41.8 percent), 15th in points per game (13.6 ppg), 13th in rebounds (5.7 rpg), and is tied for 12th in assists (3.0 apg) within the conference.
The Panthers enter Saturday’s game with a record of 4-4, featuring a 1-0 record in Missouri Valley Conference action following a victory over UIC in their conference opener, 83-56, on Wednesday (Dec. 4). Tytan Anderson is UNI’s top scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Jacob Hutson is also contributing in double digits with an average of 10.6 points per game.
UNI ranks 13th in the nation for field goal percentage, hitting 50.7 percent from the field. Additionally, the Panthers hold the 33rd position for three-point shooting percentage, making 38.6 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc.
This marks NIU’s third encounter with a Missouri Valley member this season, having previously played against Bradley and Valparaiso.
Following this game, the Huskies will prepare for a fourth contest against a Missouri Valley team, returning to play after a break for finals with a visit to Illinois State on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
